Limoncello Tiramisu is a bright and cheerful dessert full of lemon flavor. The traditional coffee soaked ladyfingers are replaced with ones dipped into a limoncello based syrup. There is still the rich mascarpone filling, enriched with a lemony zabaglione (Italian style custard) and lightened with beaten egg whites. (I use powdered yolks and whites so I don’t have to think about any risks due to uncooked egg.)

Change up your Tiramisu routine and give this version a try.

Limoncello Tiramisu

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1½ cups limoncello (purchased or recipe below)
Juice of 6 Meyer lemons, plus zest of 3 Meyer lemons (You can use regular lemons if you cannot find Meyer lemons)
1 cup water
2 cups mascarpone, softened
40 ladyfingers

Directions:

1. Make zabaglione: Set a metal bowl over a pot to create a double boiler (or use a double boiler). Add enough water to pot to reach just below bottom of bowl. Separate eggs, putting yolks in bowl of double boiler and setting whites aside. Beat yolks with ¼ cup sugar and ½ cup limoncello. Heat water in double boiler to a steady simmer. Whisk egg mixture until thick enough to form a ribbon when whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and let zabaglione cool.

2. Meanwhile, pour remaining limoncello, ¾ cup lemon juice, 1 cup water and ½ cup sugar into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens, 5 minutes. Let syrup cool.

3. In a large bowl, stir mascarpone to further soften, then add zest and whisk until light and creamy.

4. Using an electric mixer, whip reserved egg whites with remaining ¼ cup sugar until mixture holds moderately firm peaks, about 3 minutes.

5. When zabaglione is cool, use a rubber spatula to fold a third of it into mascarpone. Fold in remaining zabaglione in two or three additions, then fold in whipped egg whites in several additions. Stir gently until mixture is light and evenly blended.

6. Fill a shallow bowl with cooled syrup to ¼-inch deep. One at a time, roll ladyfingers in syrup and transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange moistened ladyfingers in tight rows to form a single layer of about 20 ladyfingers. Trim edges to fit.

7. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Repeat to form a second layer of ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.

8. Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 24.

Serves 8 to 12

Recipe from The Wall Street Journal

Limoncello

Ingredients:

10 lemons
1 liter vodka
3 cups white sugar
4 cups water

Directions:

1. Zest the lemons and place zest into a large glass bottle or jar. Pour in vodka. Cover loosely and let infuse for one week at room temperature.

2. After one week, combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Do not stir. Boil for 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature.

3. Stir vodka mixture into syrup. Strain into glass bottles, and seal each bottle with a cork. Let mixture age for 2 weeks at room temperature.

4. Store bottled liqueur into the freezer. When icy cold, serve in chilled vodka glasses or shot glasses.

Makes about 68 ounces

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Today’s music is a bit of a departure from my usual tastes, but sometimes you just got to have some flat out rock n’ roll. That is what you are going to get with Bravado Blues. Go on and crank up the volume and get ready for some head banging. Air guitar optional. I’ll be smiling at the drums.

Bravado Blues-Cruisin’ Down 109 (live)

Check out Bravado Blues on the band’s Website and Facebook, where you can learn of an upcoming gig in NJ. You can also listen to more tunes on their ReverbNation page.

Cheers!